This exact question was answered in a 2012 study by Tim Dorn, & is often quoted by many within running, including ourselves! What they examined in this study was how hard each muscle group worked at increasing running speeds & here are the results:
What can we take from these numbers?
🔑 Firstly the soleus (the lower calf muscle does a LOT of work) even at slower speeds they perform upwards of 6.7 times bodyweight of force.
🔑 Generally, the faster the running speed, the more work performed by each muscle group
🔑 Hamstrings & iliopsoas (hip flexors) really kick in at faster running speeds
🔑 For distance runners, the biggest contributors are the soleus & the quads, so it pays to develop strength in these muscles!
👋 Runners if you need help with your running injuries or performance, please don't hesitate to contact us!
📚Reference
Dorn, T. W., et al. (2012). "Muscular strategy shift in human running: dependence of running speed on hip and ankle muscle performance." J Exp Biol 215(Pt 11): 1944-1956.
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